Dashavatara

As cosmic deluge approached, Vishnu took the form of a horned fish and warned King Manu. Manu built a boat carrying the seven sages and seeds of all life. Matsya (with horn) towed the boat to safety on Mt. Meru, recovering the Vedas stolen by the asura Hayagriva.

Vishnu became the cosmic tortoise to support Mount Mandara on his back during the samudra-manthan (churning of the ocean of milk). The mountain was used as the churning rod with Vasuki as the rope; devas and asuras churned to obtain the amrita.

The asura Hiranyaksha hid the earth (personified as Bhumi-devi) in cosmic waters. Vishnu took the form of a giant boar, dove into the ocean, killed Hiranyaksha in a thousand-year battle, and lifted the earth on his tusks back to its place.

Hiranyakashipu (brother of Hiranyaksha) gained a boon: not killable by man or beast, by day or night, indoors or outdoors, by any weapon. He persecuted his Vishnu-devotee son Prahlada. Vishnu emerged as Narasimha (man-lion = neither man nor beast) at twilight (neither day nor night) on the threshold (neither indoors nor outdoors) and killed him with his claws (no weapon).

The virtuous asura king Bali had conquered the three worlds. Vishnu appeared as a small brahmin dwarf at Bali's yajna and asked for three steps of land. When Bali agreed, Vamana grew to cosmic size (Trivikrama) — covered earth and heavens with two steps; for the third, Bali offered his own head, sending himself to Patala while preserving his devotion. Onam in Kerala celebrates Bali's annual return.

Son of sage Jamadagni and Renuka. When King Karttavirya Arjuna stole the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu from his father and killed Jamadagni, Parashurama vowed to rid the earth of unrighteous kshatriyas. He did so 21 times. He is a chiranjeevi (immortal); guru of Bhishma, Drona, Karna in Mahabharata.

Born to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya at Ayodhya. Eldest of four — Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, Shatrughna. Married Sita. Exiled to forest for 14 years; Sita abducted by Ravana; epic battle and Sita's recovery. Returned to Ayodhya for coronation.

Born to Devaki and Vasudeva in Kamsa's prison; raised by Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul/Vrindavan. Killed numerous demons (Putana, Kaliya, Aghasura, etc.); danced rasa-lila with the gopis; killed Kamsa; established Dvarka. Charioteer of Arjuna at Kurukshetra; speaker of the Bhagavad Gita.

Vishnu took the Buddha avatar to teach non-violence and to deceive the Asuras into abandoning Vedic dharma so they would be weakened — this is the Vaishnava Puranic interpretation. Note that Buddhism's own self-understanding is distinct (the historical Gautama Buddha is not understood as Vishnu's avatar within Buddhism).

To be born in Sambhala village, son of Vishnuyasha. Will appear riding a white horse Devadatta, wielding a flaming sword, to destroy adharma at the close of Kali Yuga. Will inaugurate the next Satya Yuga.